


Marigolds

by sunflares (orphan_account)



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Blackwatch Era, Blackwatch Genji Shimada, Blackwatch Jesse McCree, Blackwatch Reaper | Gabriel Reyes, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Female Reader, Friendship, Genji is a great friend, Genji is there for emotional support, Hurt/Comfort, Jesse likes cookies, Makeup Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reader-Insert, Romance, Tags Are Hard, Wall Sex, secret life
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-17
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2018-12-03 12:51:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11532615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/sunflares
Summary: You are the secret wife of Blackwatch commander Gabriel Reyes. You had a wonderful relationship with the man until one day, he suddenly snapped, his work consuming his soul and mentality, leaving you at his mercy. You yearn for a love that Gabriel cannot bring back to you. You yearn for a loving embrace, a warm heart, a good father. You do not get any of that.Gabriel leaves on a mission one day, returning later that night with two people whose faces you have never seen before. You discover through an introduction that they are Gabriel’s Blackwatch members, one being an interesting cowboy by the name of Jesse McCree, and the other, a silent cyborg ninja by the name of Genji Shimada. You know what they do for a living, and at first you assume that they are just like your husband, but as time passes, you realize that there is more to them that what you’ve been told.Note - Takes place in a year’s worth of time before Overwatch fell, and reader is the same age as Genji, so around 29. My timeline is wonky.Discontinued and Orphaned for personal reasons, thanks!





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You don't have to wait for someone to treat you bad repeatedly. All it takes is once, and if they get away with it that once, if they know they can treat you like that, then it sets the pattern for the future.”   
>  **― Jane Green, Bookends**

Respite.

**Desperately** wanted, **desperately** needed.

You were trapped in a seemingly inescapable abyss of despair, the man you once thought was your hero now gone and replaced irrevocably by a man whose covert operations have consumed his soul. He was not the same man that you met when you were young all those years ago. You admired him, more so than his golden-haired poster boy colleague, and you were once ecstatic that you were given the opportunity to be his. His and **only** his. He told you he loved you, promised you a fruitful life. He promised you a loving family, where he would keep you and your offspring safe, even if that means that no one in the world would know of your existence and your relationship with him. Despite knowing the risks consummating with the Blackwatch commander, you still willingly left everything behind for the sake of the man you once loved.

It was a **lie**. As much as you cared for Gabriel, the loving man you once knew was gone and only a monster remained.

Mere months after you married him, whether it be out of your once undying love for him, Gabriel began to lose himself, more so in a way that you would have never imagined. His missions as Blackwatch commander were clearly affecting him, thereby affecting you in return, and it wasn’t because of the fact that he was “discussing” these problems with you, but rather, it was the fact that his methods of “discussion” were quite unorthodox and essentially ruthless.

Glass littered the kitchen floor, the remains of what was once a pristine bowl embedded on the scratched wood flooring, embedded on the clothes of the Blackwatch commander, embedded in your skin. There arrived a deluge of shrill, ear-piercing sounds as more fragile objects collided with the floor, the intensity of the impact causing the glass to fly into the air, your body somehow managing to attract the sharp material from a distance away. Your eyes were closed, body crumbling inward as you endured the wrath of the man in front of you, his dark skin gleaming devilishly as he incessantly destroyed the remaining glass objects in that rickety cupboard above the sink. Thankfully, even though a sufficient amount of glass had latched onto your skin, only the few, large pieces actually drew blood.

This discussion wasn’t as brutal as the past ones.

Much to your mistake, your thoughts emerged a little bit too soon, the devil in the kitchen sensing your body relaxing at the slightest.

You attempted to make a statement to stand your ground; however, the immense strength of your husband Gabriel, no, this **_devil_** Gabriel, quickly devoured you, his boots crushing the pulverized glass as he lunged towards you, his massive hands attaching far too securely onto your neck. There was scuffling and shuffling as the man shamelessly ripped your dress to shreds, exposing more of your skin dangerously to the bloodthirsty glass on the ground, waiting to pounce and plant themselves on your skin. A throbbing pain emerged from your lower regions, the unfamiliar feeling of glass shards tearing deeper into your skin, as well as the familiar, yet distant feeling of Gabriel’s thick shaft maneuvering inside your abused hole.

Gabriel shoved himself mercilessly into you, the grip he had on your neck releasing ever so slightly to allow you some degree of oxygen to keep your soul conscious and awake. You couldn’t feel anything he was doing to you, the arduous and scattered, yet distant, thrusts of the behemoth man to the gloved hand he had against your neck to the fleshy fingers purposefully digging the glass down your thighs. His mouth was moving, possibly cursing at your inability to respond as his dutiful, subservient wife to please him in your current state.

What could you do?

**Nothing**.

His grip tightened on your neck once again, oxygen fleeting, unattainable.

You valued Gabriel’s life just as well as yours, even more so for the man in question, since you knew that by only leaving all forms of your emotions in the dust would you reap more useless time in this hopeless expanse of a world. You watched silently as Gabriel ripped through you, his breaths rugged and sharp, the menacing glint in his eyes magically transforming into one laced with lust. There was no emotion behind this sensual act, not one bit. The gaze you had on him began to falter, your eyesight quickly fading as the man you once loved continued to ravish you like the true devil he is.

* * *

An eternity had passed since your body regained consciousness. You had a faint recollection of the events that occurred before you succumbed to darkness, and you began to shift, cursing at yourself at the stupid decision. Eyes gradually fluttering open, you discover Gabriel had left you an exposed, bloodied mess on the kitchen floor, the rugged pieces of glass still attached into your skin, the pain from your untreated injuries now seeping into your brain. The glass in the kitchen had been miraculously cleaned up, but the dried blood that escaped your skin still remained, staining the wooden floors a dark, horrid shade of crimson.

With a throbbing headache raging through your head, you were determined to do the duty Gabriel had delegated to you, and despite your absolutely trashed condition, you headed to the closet, retrieving the bleach to remove the stains on the floor.

Minutes achingly ticked by, the static grumbling in your head as you finished in the kitchen, the stains of both your blood and Gabriel’s cum now a faraway memory. Hastily cleaning up the messy rag, as well as ridding the familiar, friendly stench of bleach on the floor, you walked through the house, returning to your room.

Gabriel’s door was propped open, your wandering, lost mind taking a glance through the gap. A rush of anxiety flooded over your senses, the lingering thought of Gabriel catching you watching him as he slept soundly in his room would result in more injury than just mere glass drawing lines on your skin.

“Good night, Gabriel.”

With a blank expression plastered on your face, you gently closed the door, ensuring not a single sound was emitted from that damn piece of creaky wood, and retreated, back to your room, like you were before.

* * *

Tears cascaded down your face as you quivered, your dominant hand holding a crude, overused pair of tweezers as you carefully retrieved each piece of glass in your skin. The most difficult and daunting portion of the task was when you had to crane your sore and freshly bruised neck to the mirror, desperately seeking and plucking out the shards of glass from your battered back. Your clothes, well, whatever pieces remained, were in the laundry hamper in your room, and with the last piece of glass fully extracted from your body, you opened your trash bin, dumping the half-filled tray of glass inside. Huh, you didn’t realize that there was _that much_ glass. Returning your attention to your small table, you grabbed the alcohol, hesitating slightly.

You cried out, hissing as you poured alcohol over your wounds to clean them, the burning sensation tearing through your broken body. You could feel your heart pounding in every curve and divot in your skin, the anxious feeling of the maniac sleeping in the room down the corridor picking up the slight noises in your room and waking up in a fury for you disturbing his slumber. More tears flowed down your face, the salty drops glistening in the moonlight shining through the small window positioned near the ceiling. You were thankful that you even received your own room, despite it being in the dark and slightly damp basement, and the light of the moon comforted you in your struggles. As much as you desired for the moon to provide you with respite from the fallen relationship you had with Gabriel, you knew that there was no hope in asking the moon to rescue you. It wasn’t breathing, it wasn’t living. With the best of your ability, you powered through the pain, applying clean gauze over your wounds, as well as taking three painkillers from your nearly empty bottle.

Ah, what a bother…

Perhaps in the morning, or the next, whenever Gabriel leaves for another mission, you’ll go.

Opening your closet, you realize that you had run out of available clothing, the majority of them neglected in the washing machine when the “discussion” with Gabriel happened after dinner. You knew that you would get punished tomorrow for not obtaining your laundry in time. Sighing in despair, you gently laid yourself on your bed, body sore and patched like an experiment gone wrong, and settled down into your bed.

As you drifted off to sleep under the slight comfort of your thin blanket, you were met by the loving grace of your son, the faint, “Mom, I love you!” echoing in the wind, calling you towards him in a light of solitude and sanctity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!  
> I had this thought as I was writing my first story on AO3, and I decided to go along with it.  
> I have never written anything like this, and I hope this turns out okay!
> 
> I am always open for suggestions on future chapters, thanks! <3
> 
> You can find me on Tumblr @ sunmikkyu ^^


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “There are many who don't wish to sleep for fear of nightmares. Sadly, there are many who don't wish to wake for the same fear.”  **― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher**

“Mom!”

A small child, a boy barely five years old, rushed through the warm doors of the Reyes household, his curled, chocolate hair bouncing gracefully in the wind as he excitedly jumped into your arms, surprising you from your cooking.

“Good afternoon, Mom! I made you something at school!”

The little boy dropped himself from your grip and whisked his head around, hand frantically searching for his present in the pockets of his beige shorts. You smiled sweetly, a spatula in hand, your son’s favorite peanut butter banana pecan pancakes in the girdle behind you, cooking haphazardly in the summer day.

“Look, Mom! It’s us!”

He takes out a piece of paper from his back pocket, unfolding it carefully, proudly displaying his work of art to you.

“See! It’s me, right there in the middle, you to my right, and Dad to my left! We’re holding hands!”

* * *

 Your eyes fluttered open to the faint sunlight entering through your small window, the distant warmth shuddering you awake. The bruises and marks Gabriel left on your body had mostly healed overnight, and you were quite thankful that those experiments you were in as a child actually ended up being useful in times like these. The scattered, static noise blaring in your head from the night before had lulled to a low hum, and you were feeling somewhat refreshed despite the way your body looked. But then again, you’ve always felt better, especially before Gabriel broke himself. Yawning softly, you shrugged your shoulders, rolling them to gently bring your body back to reality.

You were about to leave your bed to prepare breakfast when the basement door was harshly shoved open, causing your eyes to widen, adrenaline swiftly pumping through your veins. Shit, you’ve overslept, you realized, and considering that Gabriel was now towering over your naked body with a belligerent look plastered on his face, you knew you’ve done it. Again.

A sharp exhale of breath emitted from your mouth as Gabriel easily threw you against the wall, the flaking, muted gray wallpaper falling on your skin. It wasn’t the first time he’s done this to you, whether you’ve overslept or not. You believed he actually **liked** doing this to you, seeing you get whipped and abused by his hands. What happened to him? He wasn’t like that before, he hated treating you badly and disrespecting you. What happened?

Either way, none of that matters now, does it?

Furious thoughts raced through your head as you tried to brace yourself for the man’s foot approaching your exposed stomach.

“Look at you, wearing no clothes, what are you, a whore?!”

* * *

The family drawing made beautifully by your son was hung neatly on the fridge, a marigold flower magnet holding it securely onto the metal chassis of the kitchen appliance. Your son was seated excitedly at the dining table, eyes flashing to the open television playing his favorite cartoons as he munched happily on his favorite style of pancakes, syrup dribbling down his chin. You were humming softly to yourself as you made another stack of pancakes for Gabriel, although it contained chocolate chips instead.

“Mom! I finished!”

Your son scrambled to his feet, syrup still dribbling on his chin, as he walked over to the sink, carefully plopping the plate and utensils into the soapy water. He smiled brightly as you cleaned his face with a moist hand towel, laughing sweetly as you cared for your son. Your son looked like a spitting image of his father, the lovely tanned skin and the deep brown hair. The only feature he had from you was your eyes, the exact shape and color. His curled hair was a nice touch, making him look like a giddy slinky as he bounced in his step.

Sunlight still shone splendidly through the half-open blinds, the golden light transforming every bit of the beige toned house of yours into liquid gold. There was so much light and prosperity in the house, and you took a deep breath as you finished up the chocolate pancakes for your husband.

The door burst open to the sight of Gabriel in his Blackwatch clothing returning from a mission, your son rushing happily to greet his father, the strong Blackwatch commander melting at the sight of his son.

“Dad! Welcome home! I have a present for you!”

* * *

You were fully clothed now, the events before you getting dressed a little too much for your liking. Gabriel had once again relentlessly beat you, and you couldn’t do anything about it. His aura was far too dominating, consuming the equally dominating aura you had when you were younger, and everything about you buckled under its pressure. You wished that your confidence would one day return to you, giving you a reason to validate the amount of chemicals they pumped into your body years ago as a child. Nevertheless, your confidence was in the wind, never to be seen again, and you despised yourself for letting it go.

From your huddled position in the corner of your bed, you gradually stood up, letting out a hiss as you clenched your arm over your bruised stomach, the imprint of Gabriel’s shoe still present in the purple skin underneath. You refused to show any form of weakness as much as you could around Gabriel, and you forced yourself to endure the flashing pain in your abdomen. Sighing heavily, you hoisted yourself up the stairs and to the kitchen, where Gabriel watched you intently as you prepared him his breakfast.

Over hard eggs with a side of home fries and some hotdogs. Also a cup of coffee with one part cream. His usual Friday morning breakfast.

Shuffling as quickly as you possibly could, you effortlessly whipped up the man’s breakfast, not even bothering to prepare one for your own, seeing that your appetite in the morning was mercilessly beaten out of you. Your body desperately wanted to hum to itself, the comfort it gave to you giving you some relief under the straining pressure of Gabriel’s gaze; however, the man’s mood was already sour from your mistake the night before, and you decided against your urge to hastily finish cooking and preparing the Blackwatch commander’s meal.

With a small intake of breath, you presented the man with his breakfast, Gabriel in his Blackwatch attire, indicating to you that he would be leaving shortly on a mission. Your eyes followed the man’s movements, observing how he ate his food, as well as finding any indication that he appreciated your breakfast.

“Breakfast is as delicious as always, honey,” he remarked, devouring the last few bites of his food.

“Thank you, Gabriel.”

That’s how it was.

A beating with no apology, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

He would go from a demon to a saint in an instant, every second thought that crossed your mind flaking at his false promises.

As usual.

“Where will you be going today, ___?”

You were cleaning his plate as he prepared himself to leave, buckling spare shotgun ammunition into his legs and torso.

“I will be going to the store to buy some groceries and medicine.” You replied, voice trembling slightly from the pain in your belly. The man didn’t seem to catch on to your faltering voice.

“I see. I have some money for you to use at your discretion for the day. It’s in the living room, under the book.”

The large man approached the door, opening it, letting fresh air bless the dreary furnishings of your graying abode.

“I will return in the evening. It’s a simple escort mission.”

“Stay safe, love.”

He began to walk out; however, he decided to return to the house, causing you to slightly panic at the appearance of his figure so close to you. Gabriel gently took your chin in his, thumb brushing your cheek, and he leaned in, giving you a soft, yet passionate, kiss. You were surprised at his sudden gesture, but you knew all too well that this was a normal routine of his. Without a moment to respond, the man left the house, the only remembrance of him being the crinkling of his boots, escaping into the wind.

* * *

“Ha! I beat you, Dad!”

The little boy bounced, clapping his hands, pleased that e successfully brought the infamous Blackwatch commander to his demise. You smiled to yourself as you spied your son and your husband enjoying themselves in a barrage of video games, your son gleefully cackling as he defeated his father. Gabriel would laugh, take your son in his arms to nuzzle him gently, tickling him until the small child would cackle even louder at the touch of his father.

“Alright, boys, dinner is ready! Come down and eat unless you want Mom to get angry!”

“Yes, love!”

“Yes, Mom!”

* * *

Thankfully, the back support brace that you bought a few months ago wasn’t in a tattered condition, considering that it was used almost every day to support your failing body. There were many days in which you wanted to escape that house of yours when Gabriel would be off on long missions, but you knew that no matter how far you would go, Gabriel would always find you, and his belligerent demeanor would never fail to surprise you with a punishment more severe than the last. You could die, for all you knew, and the man would never let you see another sprinkle of sunlight in your life again. Despite the unfortunate circumstances of your married life now, you refused to leave the man until death, even if it was for the sake of your own sanity.

You headed to the living room after ironing clothes, folding them and stashing them away in your respective closets. You rarely walked into Gabriel’s room, even before the accident, since the man was extremely sensitive of the contents he held in there. Gabriel only allowed you entrance when he knew he would be gone for only a short period of time, such as a day trip much like today. Puffing out a breath of air, you adjusted the brace underneath your shirt, and you moved the book he mentioned before, finding a few bills that sufficed more than groceries. Taking the money, you folded it neatly and placed it in your secure pocket, and without another word, you left the house, walking to the store on the street two blocks away.

* * *

Dinner served that night was a lovely, succulent, stuffed fried duck, topped with sautéed mushrooms and gravy. The three of you had a wonderful dinner as a family, your son relentlessly asking his father about his numerous adventures in Blackwatch. Gabriel didn’t hesitate one bit to fulfill your son’s request, the eyes of your son gleaming in awe at the stories he told. The sun had set in the horizon, casting the small town you lived in in darkness, with the warm white light shining on your faces and the dining room table being the only light present as the three of you deliciously finished your dinner with a full appetite.

“Thanks Mom for the dinner!”

“It was absolutely delicious, ___.”

That night, you watched Gabriel tuck your son into bed, the gruff man whispering to him in Spanish with your son giggling and poking his father on the nose. He asked for more stories, but you had to interject, telling your son that his father had to leave in the early morning for a week long mission and that it was quite late in the evening. He didn’t want to miss school the next day. You were pleased that your son understood the predicament, and he ceased all of his questions for another day.

“Good night Mom, Dad, and sweet dreams! I love you!”

“Sweet dreams to you as well, my son. I love you too.”

* * *

You decided on making the same stuffed duck recipe you made the last time you ever saw your son, also remembering shortly after the previous decision that you needed pay a visit to the florist to obtain a bouquet of flowers. Arriving quite painlessly at the market, the doors welcomed you in, the store owner, a small Asian lady, greeting you warmly as you smiled at her, masking the pain you felt both inside and outside. Quickly grabbing a cart, you walked through the aisles, obtaining every ingredient you needed to provide you and Gabriel with a hearty dinner. The layout of the small market store hadn’t changed in the years you lived here, and you knew exactly where each ingredient was at the back of your palm.

Arriving at the cashier, a teenage female greeted you and rang your items, making a general small talk with you as you picked up your shopping bags and exited the market. The walk to the florist was quite short, considering that the boutique was literally across the fairly busy street. Carefully checking for any signs of speeding automobiles, you crossed the road safely, opening the door to the florist with your almost full arms.

“Ah! Good to see you, ___! Your bouquet of marigolds is ready!”

You were at the florist every week ever since your son died. He loved marigolds just as much as you did, the various shades of red and yellow bonding you two together. He especially loved the yellow hued marigolds, you the red-hued, and on days where Gabriel would be off on long missions, the two of you would go to your garden and tend to the patch of marigolds growing peacefully in the back.

The florist handed you your bouquet of marigolds, a mixture of bright yellow for your deceased son, and you were about to pay her for the bouquet, but she suddenly refused. Why won’t she take the money?

“___, did you forget? You must be troubled if you did.”

Oh, that’s right.

It’s been two years.

He would have been seven.

“Ah, that’s right, I didn’t get much sleep last night…”

“Happens to the best of us, sweetie~ Tell your boy that Steffanie says hello~”

“Will do! Thank you so much!”

* * *

An eerie gust of wind rattled the house that night, waking you in Gabriel’s arms. The man beside you also arose, albeit a bit more alive and alert than you. Suddenly, the two of you were jolted fully awake as the sound of a crashing door and scattering glass echoed throughout the house, a sharp and shrill scream piercing in the howling wind.

“Gabriel!” You gasped, your body panicking and flying out of the bed, grabbing your rifle, but the Blackwatch commander made you put it down, ordering you that it was his responsibility, and he followed suit, hellfire shotguns in his hands.

The two of you quickly scoured the house, your worst fear manifesting as you both realize that your son was not sleeping in his room and that his bedroom window was obliterated with faint traces of blood on the broken glass. Your heart was pounding, the beating pulsing like a rave, and based on Gabriel’s expression, you knew he was feeling the same.

“Mom! Dad!”

* * *

The front door opened to reveal the drab layout of the house. Sighing in relief, you removed the bags dangling from your slightly sore arms and onto the dining room table, gently laying the bouquet of marigolds beside the groceries. Moving quickly, you filed away all of the ingredients into their respective compartments in the fridge, trying to obtain as much time as you could to spend with your son before you had to return home and prepare dinner. You stomach grumbled heavily, crudely reminding you that you still hadn’t eaten breakfast, so you settled on an apple, grasping it in one hand with the marigolds in the other, and off you went, into the woods, to the little cemetery of the small town you lived in.

* * *

“Let go of my son!” Gabriel barked.

The sight in front of you was a sight no parent wanted to see. There was a mysterious man clad in a preposterous shade of neon green approximately fifty feet away, your son held tightly against his chest with a revolver planted on his temple. The man looked absolutely ridiculous, but despite his appearance, the situation at hand was no laughing matter. Gabriel’s arms were extended, shotguns pointed directly at the man, his eyes in a blazing fury. The man was growling, a menacing laughter reverberating in his throat as your son trembled in tears against the man’s grip.

“Dad, Mom, help me!”

The revolver pressed deeper into your son’s temple, the young boy’s tears flooding out of his face.

“You’re going to have to try, Gabriel.”

* * *

It was only a few hundred more feet away. A lot of things can change in a year, especially now, since there’s dense foliage blocking the path. Clearly not many people visit the cemetery, the residents believing that there was absolutely no point in visiting the empty, decomposed shells of the people they once knew, but you and a few others always made sure to pay respects to the dead. It was just how you were raised. With time against you, you increased your walking speed, munching greedily on the apple, hoping to make it to your destination with enough minutes left to spare.

* * *

Shots were firing at a rapid pace, the adrenaline in your body coursing quickly through your veins. You were ordered by Gabriel to flank around the man, finding a way to take your child back into your arms so he could get a clean shot. Based on the minutes ticking by, you knew that this neon green clown was a much harder opponent to flank, and you also knew by the fact that this idiot knew Gabriel’s name, he must have been someone Gabriel encountered on a Blackwatch mission.

The man’s cackling echoed through the woods, the sharp branches flicking against your face as you desperately worked your way around the man. The shots the two men were exchanging were deeply worrying you, knowing that your son was right in the middle of it all. Your breaths were ragged, anxiety seeping into you, and everything you were working on doing instantly collapsed as a single, bloodcurdling scream pierced through the foliage of the dark woods.

* * *

“Hey there, sweetie~ Mom brought you your favorite flowers!”

You set down carefully the bouquet of marigolds on the tombstone of your son, his name emblazoned in a fine calligraphic script. Without thinking, you immediately kissed the granite slab, brushing away the dead leaves and grass, as well as taking out a small towel to clean it off. The sun shone through the foliage in that small cemetery, casting the tombstone in a warm light, comforting you. You knew that you would never be able to physically touch or hug your son ever again, but you knew that he was at peace in a happier place. The environment around you was tranquil as you basked in the cordial sunlight, taking the time to meditate and heal yourself of your wounds.

You sat there alone, telling stories to your son, more missions that his father had gone on (Gabriel, on good days, would actually recount his missions with you), as well as telling him how much he meant to you. You hoped that he could hear you in the paradise he resided in now.

* * *

It’s your worst nightmare come true.

You abandoned the order that Gabriel made, running as fast as you possibly could to the source of the scream. That neon green bastard was alive, body bent over in laughter as you spied Gabriel holding his son, the child’s lifeless body riddled with shrapnel and bullet holes. Bursting into tears, you lunged toward your fallen son, cradling his body into yours, hands caressing his cooling cheeks.

“What happened?!” You cried out, tears blurring your vision as you faced Gabriel, face sullen and hard. Gabriel was avoiding your gaze, his eyes clenched shut with his hands balled up into tight fists.

“You missed, didn’t you?!”

The sobbing that emitted from your trembling body was the only sound heard in that area of the woods. Gabriel took a breath, attempting to calm himself down, and a few moments later he whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

A sudden rage exploded within your body, you gently laying your son down onto the floor, harshly grabbing Gabriel’s shotguns and faced the neon green man, his laughter ceasing when he noticed your angered state. Immediately after, you pulled the trigger, blasting the man with bullets, each shotgun pulsing bullets into the man’s disintegrating figure. You continued to shoot, despite the yells of your husband, and within a few seconds that bastard’s body was nothing more than a bloodied, bone shattered pulp on the ground, never to be identified again.

“How the fuck could you miss?!” you hissed, words dripping with poison, throwing the shotguns onto the ground, lunging towards Gabriel, striking him in the chest. “You’re the commander of Blackwatch, and I know for a goddamn fact that your accuracy is always true. What the fuck happened?!”

“It was a simple tactical error!” Gabriel responded, his fists clenching tighter, blood dripping out in drops, eyes red and angry. “I thought that by shooting down that branch it would block that bastard, but that piece of shit ended up turning the wrong way and our son got caught in the fire!”

“A simple, tactical error?! A **simple, tactical error**?! You think that our son’s life was a simple, tactical error? You could have done something else! You're the goddamn commander of Blackwatch! Fuck you, Gabriel!”

* * *

You arrived home just in time to prepare dinner for you and Gabriel. The stuffed duck with the mushroom and gravy you poured all of your love into, much like when your son was still alive two years ago. Humming softly to yourself, you peacefully prepared a meal for two, setting up the dinner table for both of you until the door burst open, causing you to jolt and let out a shriek.

“Woah there, sorry for startlin’ you.”

An interesting looking cowboy clad in black with a cigar in his mouth appeared in the open doorway, your husband’s arm draped over the man’s shoulders. There was another person behind him, a quite horrifying figure, a mix of both machine and man, his black eyes seemingly piercing into your soul. That man was carrying Gabriel’s shotguns, the red tubing on his mechanical body glistening in the setting sun.

“Who are you,” you asked, hand holding a knife protectively, “and what did you do to my husband?”

Your eyes quickly glanced at Gabriel’s unconscious body, a slight concern creeping up on you. The two men walked inside the house, the cowboy gently laying Gabriel onto the sofa, the half-robotic man placing his shotguns onto the table. You were so focused on protecting yourself, you almost forgot to breathe. There was a slight tension in the air, but you refused to buckle under the pressure. The black clad cowboy approached you cautiously, not wanting you to attack him with the knife you were holding, and he spoke softly.

“The name’s McCree, Jesse McCree, and this ninja over here,” Jesse pointed his thumb at his colleague, “His name is-”

“Genji,” The ninja interjected, arms crossed and eyes closed, “Genji Shimada.”

Jesse cursed at Genji under his breath and resumed his conversation with you, keeping the same tone he held before he was interrupted.

“We are Reyes' Blackwatch team members, and I promise you, we do not mean any harm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there!  
> This is a big undertaking for me, so I apologize if there are any errors.  
> Thanks for sticking around!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “She could just pack up and leave, but she does not visualize what's beyond ahead.” **― Núria Añó**

Gabriel was still unconscious as his team members patched him up and cleaned his wounds. Based on the amount of injuries he sustained, as well as the amount of gauze the men had to use to place over his wounds, you determined that Gabriel had suffered quite badly in that latest escort mission, despite him classifying it as “simple.” You watched silently as Gabriel’s team members cautiously cleaned him up, ensuring that he is stable and whatnot, leaving a small biotic emitter on the table, casting him in a warm, yellow glow. Jack probably supplied the Blackwatch team with some of those emitters of his. To be fair, they are quite handy.

“He should be fine now.”

Jesse stood up, approaching you again, this time being a little more comfortable since you had discarded the knife back into the drawer you pulled it from.

“You mentioned he’s your husband, right?”

You nodded slowly, breaking away from his gaze to slice the duck into four pieces to put on four separate plates. You quickly set up the table to accommodate two more people, placing four plates of duck and four sets of utensils at each seat.

“Ah, thank you for the meal!” Genji exclaimed, settling down into a chair. You motioned for Jesse to come to the table to eat, since you knew that the boys would be quite hungry after that “simple” escort mission. Jesse was about to ask another question, but you shut him down.

“Eat first,” you said, a pressing authority in your voice, “and I will answer whatever questions you have for me.”

* * *

 

Genji was kind enough to offer to clean the dishes for you, which surprised you in a pleasant way since not even Gabriel offers to do that. Genji put Gabriel’s portion into the fridge for him to eat whenever he would wake up. Despite his appearance, Genji seemed like a nice person, and you took comfort in that idea.

You and Jesse were sitting on a sofa directly across from where Gabriel was resting. The glow from the biotic emitter Jack gave had faded, and Gabriel was in a stable condition now. You didn’t know just how long it would take for the man to regain consciousness, but you knew that he would eventually. You just hoped that his mood would be not as sour as it usually has been. Jesse had a cup of coffee sitting on the table, accompanied by your glass of hot chocolate. Genji was humming a song in Japanese to himself as he finished clearing up the table and putting away the dishes, shortly joining you and Jesse on the sofa with a cup of green tea.

“You asked me earlier that I said Gabriel’s my husband, yes?” You began, taking your hot chocolate in your hands, sipping it gently.

“Yes,” Jesse replied, adjusting the hat on his head, “I did. Gotta tell you though, he never mentioned anythin’ about a secret life.”

“That’s why it’s called secret for a reason,” Genji snickered, taking a sip of his tea. “He did tell us about this place, ordering us to take him here if a mission goes a little too awry.”

“Fuck off, Genji,” Jesse growled, leaning back in the sofa. “Anyway, yes, he did say that. We just weren’t expectin’ to find a woman here, let one who claims she’s his husband.”

There were quite a few thoughts flying through your head at the moment, one of which was debating whether or not you had to prove your marriage to his colleagues by showing them that marriage certificate of yours. It was a heavy, awkward silence as the two men awaited for a response from you, their eyes resting on your slightly anxious frame.

Taking a breath, you said, “If you do not believe me being Gabriel’s wife, I can show you the certificate.”

Without waiting for a word to escape their lips, you stood up, placed your glass of hot chocolate back on the table, and departed for Gabriel’s room. Even though you knew that Gabriel was unconscious on that couch of yours and that he wasn’t able to physically hurt you, you still had that eerie feeling that he was watching over you as you trespassed into his room, retrieving the certificate from a file he carefully stored in his bedside dresser. Hastily retreating from the bedroom, you dashed off back into the living room, the two men staring at you interestingly as you sat back down in a puff of breath.

Shoving the paper into Jesse’s face, you let the man look at it to confirm your statement. Jesse nodded his head as he read through it, passing it to Genji after he was done. Genji asked you where you found it, and he offered to return it for you, which you refused. You didn’t want your guest to do any more work for you; however, Genji was adamant about his offer, and soon enough you obliged, with Genji scuttling off into Gabriel’s room to return the certificate.

“I bet Gabe’s been a real treat to you,” Jesse began, taking his hat off and placing it on the table next to his now empty cup of coffee. “Treatin’ you like a queen.”

You hesitated to give an answer. “Uh, yeah, he has.” Jesse looked at you as you spoke, a rather interesting expression plastered on his face. You quickly took note of that sour change in expression, so you stuttered out, “Yeah! He has, it’s just that he’s been really stressed for the past few days…”

“Mhm, that’s true. We’ve got the work cut out for us, that’s for sure. We don’t really get enough breaks, right Genji?”

You sighed in relief, Jesse’s expression returning to what it once was now that Genji had returned from Gabriel’s room. The cyborg ninja nodded, retrieving his faceplate from the dinner table to attach it back onto his face, grunting as he did so.

It had been many, many years since you last had a guest in your house, whether it be someone you knew or someone you just met, and to be frank, you were having quite a difficult time to maintain or even begin a solid conversation. You cursed at yourself for having the inability to talk smoothly, unlike your husband, but maybe, with the guests here, maybe you’ll improve?

“It’s gettin’ quite late now, darlin’,” Jesse cooed, the endearment at the end causing you to panic, flustering you.

Genji immediately noticed the slight change in your composure as a response to Jesse, which made him explain, “Jesse has a habit of calling everyone with pet names, so don’t get too affected.”

“Ah, okay,” you replied, thanking Genji for his clarification.

“Jesse and I will take Gabriel back to your room, so the two of you could sleep together. We’ll stay here in the living room.”

“No!” You suddenly cried, the two men halting, with their eyes gazing mysteriously at you. That’s right, Jesse and Genji aren’t aware that you and Gabriel sleep separately. Tumbling over your words in a slight panic, you clarified, “Please do not sleep on the couches! We have a guest room, just down that hallway. I do not want guests to be uncomfortable here in the living room, since the temperature likes to absurdly fluctuate. Plus, the mattress is quite soft!”

Jesse chuckled at your odd sounding request, putting his hat back on and tipping it towards you.

“Yes, ma’am, will do, thank you.”

Genji bowed in respect to you, signaling you his appreciation for your offer.

The two men walked over to Gabriel, Genji once again holding the shotguns with Jesse taking Gabriel around his shoulders, and the two disappeared into the house, ensuring their commander would be snug in his bedroom. You quietly picked up the abandoned glass and cups, heading to the kitchen to clean them off and dry them. It really was quite late into the night, you noticed. The moon was shining through the unfiltered windows of the house, casting the living room and the kitchen in a soft, blue glow, and despite the odd encounter and introduction you had in the past three hours with that cowboy and ninja, it was actually quite pleasant.

* * *

It was around midnight when you decided to head off to bed, the tranquil silence in the household lulling you to sleep. You didn’t even notice how exhausted you were with the errands and the visit, as well as the meeting with two rather unique men. Yawning quietly to yourself, you passed by Gabriel’s room, opening it slightly to take a look at his resting face. He looked so peaceful while he slept, no explicit marking whatsoever of a man who would abuse you on a whim. You wished he would regain the personality he once had before the two of you lost your son, but you knew that no matter how hard you tried, you could never bring back the old Gabriel.

You were so lost in thought that you didn’t realize Genji behind you, scaring you slightly as he poked you in the back.

“You scared me!” You whispered, poking Genji back on his chest.

A deep grumble emanated from the cyborg, which you assumed was his way of laughing.

“I assumed that you would already be sleeping,” he said, ruffling his hair, the tubes on his arms almost hitting you in the face. “It seems that you sleep late.”

“I was just relaxing for a little bit in the living room…” You trailed off. You knew that Jesse and Genji thought that you and Gabriel slept in the same room, and you wanted to keep it that way, so you had an idea. “What time do you two usually wake up…?”

Genji shifted his position, crossing his arms and lowering his head. A few seconds passed before the man lit up, eyes staring directly at you, replying, “Jesse and I wake up at around 8 am. Why do you ask?”

You shrugged, attempting to play your idea cool. “I just want to make sure that our guests have a hearty breakfast in the morning for the duration of their stay, that is all.”

“Thank you for your kindness and hospitality, Mrs. Reyes.” Genji said, the title he gave to you surprising you. You haven’t heard that name in years, not even your son’s teachers would call you by that. Hearing it now gave you an uneasy feeling, and you decided to clarify something to Genji.

“Ah, Genji, I would prefer if you called me by my first name, ___.”

Genji hesitated in his composure for slight instance in time, and then he bowed his head in apology. “I apologize. Let me rephrase; I’d like to thank you for your kindness and hospitality, ___. Have a good night.” And with that, the ninja strode off, walking into the guest bedroom, the infernal sounds of Jesse’s snoring escaping with the open and close of the door. You smiled to yourself at the ridiculous sounds. They were a sign that your guests were content and comfortable in your house. An hour after the encounter with Genji, you decided to retire for the night in your room in the basement. You absolutely wanted to make sure that Genji and Jesse were asleep, which made you stay in Gabriel’s room for a painstakingly long hour to play with their idea of the two of you residing in the same room. Carefully opening the door, you wished Gabriel a good night, and off you went, down the stairs, lazily climbing onto the bed, setting your alarm to 7 am. Sleep consumed you shortly thereafter, the exhaustion you felt throughout the day fully leaving your body.

* * *

The ringing of the alarm the next morning stirred you from your slumber, your refreshed body yawning and stretching at the dawn of a new day. You were always thankful for your fast healing mechanisms, since you couldn’t feel any pain anymore; however, the bruising was still visible, albeit the color more faded.  You rushed to the upstairs bathroom, washing your face and freshening up before heading to the kitchen. You briskly opened the fridge to make a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes, as well as cooking some rice for Genji. Realizing that you could actually eat this time with people without having some form of violence in the morning, you happily decided to cook more rice and bacon for yourself.

It was through unfortunate circumstances that you’re able to have a small glimpse of happiness. Despite the reasons arriving to your happiness, however long that may be until Gabriel wakes up, you wanted to savor it, as you’d never know when you’d be able to be free, even for a while. Of course, you were still worried about Gabriel, but having a rather nice disruption in the usual abusive household was refreshing and positively affected you.

You worked diligently and swiftly, optimism rearing its head as you expertly cracked the egg shells and cooked the bacon and potatoes. Within a good thirty minutes, breakfast was ready, and you carefully placed three sets of utensils and plates on the tables. Apparently, the smell of the food had awoken the two Blackwatch members, the ninja bowing to you and Jesse tipping his hat at you as they stepped into the dining room.

“That looks like a damn fine breakfast, don’t you think?” Jesse asked, nudging Genji on his mechanical side.

Genji nodded in response and sat down at the same place he sat at the night before, the same principle applying to Jesse.

“We checked Gabriel’s condition before coming here,” Genji began, his faceplate shifting in his hand as he began to remove it, “and he is stable but unconscious. He should be back up soon, maybe the next day or two.”

“Oh,” you squeaked. That means you had at least a day’s worth of enjoyment and freedom before you’d be confined again. “Well, thank you for the news! Come, let’s eat!”

* * *

Jesse had offered to clean the dishes this time, the cowboy working away in the kitchen as you went to the backyard to tend to your garden. It had been a while since you had been there, the quite hectic nature of your relationship with Gabriel refusing to give up time for you to relax in the place you considered a haven. The garden had been unattended for quite some time, with weeds growing, and most of the flowers that were planted there were dead as well.

How long was it exactly since you had last been here?

Probably around a year.

You would dwell in the garden to pass time and cope with the death of your son, but after Gabriel’s transformation, it was getting more and more difficult to find the time to be there, but now, through Gabriel’s unfortunate mission, you had something.

You were walking around the small garden you had, remembering where the flowers you planted as a family were, stopping at the exact patch of soil and dried foliage to bask in your memories. One of which was when you and Gabriel planted some roses when he first bought the house so many years ago, and when your son was born, the three of you planted his yellow marigolds adjacent to the roses. You were standing there silently, and you didn’t notice that someone had entered the garden, the sound of the house’s back door closing barely audible.

“___?”

Snapping out of your memories, you whisked your head around to be met by none other than Genji, who was standing there, a rather interesting look in his eyes.

“Is there something wrong?”

He began to shuffle a little bit in his stance, eyes wandering. You could tell that he was having some difficulty trying to discuss something with you, but you didn’t want to pester him about it. After a few minutes of Genji mulling around, his eyes made contact with yours again.

“Can I ask you something?” Genji paused for a moment, taking a cautious step forward.

You nodded, clasping one arm in your hand. There was a slight nervousness creeping up your back. Something wasn't really right about this situation, and you couldn't pinpoint what that was.

“Why don't you two sleep in the same room?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry for the late update, I got busy with the last week of summer classes!  
> Thanks for sticking around!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Deep connection is the antidote to madness.” **― Stefan Molyneux**

Jesse’s obnoxious yelling interrupted your train of thoughts as you attempted to settle them in order to answer Genji’s question. Despite not being able to give an answer to the cyborg ninja patiently sitting beside you on the bench, you were thankful that Jesse had given you a short break to collect your thoughts and try again later.

“You have a visitor!”

Cocking your head to the side, you asked, “Visitor? I never get visitors. Who is it?”

Jesse yawned, excusing himself before replying, “She claims to be the lady from the flower shop in town?”

“Oh!” You smiled to yourself, “Tell her I’ll be right out!”

Turning to face Genji, you bowed your head and apologized. “My apologies, Genji. I’m afraid I’ll have to answer your question at a later time.”

Genji simply nodded. “No problem, ___. Take your time. I will listen when you are ready.”

* * *

The florist, Steffanie, had decided to drop by your house today, insisting she give you a daintily wrapped package full of cookies. You had forgotten how much you had chatted with her about your family life, back when you still had one, and when you opened the package, your heart melted. Steffanie had baked not only your favorite white chocolate and macadamia nut cookies, she had also baked your son’s favorite dark chocolate chip cookie. There were also four other kinds of cookies the florist had baked for you, and you felt eternally grateful for her kind act. Steffanie had departed your house a few moments earlier, the florist on her way to the market to buy some groceries for her husband Michael and their children.

When you had closed the door and stepped back into your home, Jesse was standing directly behind you, his curiosity getting the better of him.

“Ma’am, what kind of cookies did the sweet little lady give you?”

You smiled at him, holding out the opened package of cookies to display to the cowboy, now dressed in some of Gabriel’s very, very old clothing.

“Come see for yourself, Jesse.”

The cowboy hustled over, his eyes scanning the box. You could tell the man wanted a cookie, and without even letting the man ask, you said, “It’s okay, Jesse, you’re welcome to have one.”

Jesse’s eyes lit up happily, in a fashion similar to your son, the comparison one and the same, and the cowboy eagerly picked out the dark chocolate chip cookie and wasted no time in devouring the sweet snack. You laughed heartily, your ears picking up the metallic thunking of Genji’s feet pacing down the hallway and to the living room in which you and his comrade stood.

“Delicious!” Jesse exclaimed, “Ma’am, may I have another?”

You nodded, grinning. “Take as much as you’d like, Jesse. I can’t finish these all myself!”

Genji stood a few feet diagonally behind Jesse, the soft whirring of the mechanical parts of his body audible to your ear, and you peeked your head out to offered the ninja a cookie.

“Steffanie baked a lot of cookies. Would you like a cookie? Take as many as you want!”

Genji approached you, his crimson eyes scanning the box, the cybernetic ninja looking for the perfect cookie to try. Jesse was already on his fourth cookie by the time Genji had chosen one, and you decided that you should probably get a taste of the cookies Steffanie had baked you before the cowboy had consumed every last one (although, you did tell him he had no limit to the amount of cookies he could take…).

“Thank you, ___. I appreciate your offer.”

You walked over to the dining room, placing the box of cookies on the table and opening the refrigerator. As you pushed and reorganized certain items, you called out, “Does anyone want milk with their cookies?” Closing the door with your elbow, you brought out the gallon of milk that was hidden in the farthest back corner of your fridge, carefully resting it on the table beside the cookie box. Jesse wasted no time in grabbing a glass and pouring milk for himself while Genji followed shortly behind, his face plate discarded and clutched tightly in his left hand.

* * *

The Blackwatch boys headed off into town to do some sight-seeing, although you were sure that there was nothing really worthy of sight-seeing in the close-knit town you lived in. Sure, there were some archaic, extremely well-maintained buildings from the 18th century being used as museums and there was also the patch of tulips south of the main road leading into the city where some rare birds would be seen, but everything else in town seemed pretty normal. Nevertheless, you took comfort in the fact that the pair would find _something_ interesting around here.

You were storing the cookies in a square porcelain jar beside the plates in the cupboard above the sink, and you were also cleaning and washing the two glasses the men used before departing into town. As you were cleaning, your mind kept on wandering to the time you spent with Genji in the backyard garden that morning, the question he asked you burning deep into your mind. You were unsure as to why you were so hesitant to answer. You were heavily inclined to expose the truth to Genji and even Jesse after, but there was this binding pull that forced you to maintain your reserve. Was it because Gabriel was still present, despite the man being currently unconscious and treated with an emitter, or was it because you were afraid that Genji and/or Jesse would not believe you? Even if they asked for evidence, the experiments done to you in the past gave you accelerated healing much like Gabriel’s, and whatever bruises or cuts you would obtain from extremely physical fights would disappear within a day or two, depending on the severity.

You were so submerged in the dense cloud of thoughts forming in your brain you didn’t notice that you had spent three hours drying the same two glasses, and you especially didn’t notice the return of the ninja and his fellow cowboy.

“Ma’am, are you alright there? Something wrong?” Jesse’s southern accent pierced through your thoughts in an instant, grounding you to the reality you lived in, and you blinked your eyes, shaking your head to wake yourself up.

“Yes! I’m sorry, I got too carried away with my thoughts, nothing concerning, I promise you.” Opening a cupboard, you gently filed the glasses away, and you dried your hands on the towel hanging on the oven handle. Turning around, eyes plastered on the floor, you asked, “What do you two like for dinner?” You blinked a few more times and yawned before your eyes settled and focused on the figures in front of you.

“Actually, Jesse and I bought dinner for us, as a way to say thank you for caring for us in your house, as well as to give you a break from cooking.” Genji lifted a plastic bag, and immediately the aroma exuding from the bag infiltrated your nose, startling you awake.

“It smells delicious!” You exclaimed, “Come, let’s eat!”

* * *

 

The three of you finished dinner an hour later, the cowboy sharing some stories of his awkward and embarrassing encounter with Commander Amari during a mission, his flirting accidentally leading him into uncovering a secret network of human trafficking, and some awful puns he used when he was interrogating people. Genji sighed at the memory of the southerner’s puns, he ninja being the unfortunate one of having to supervise the cowboy as he ran interrogations, second-hand embarrassment creeping up his spine. You laughed heartily, enjoying the rather bad puns Jesse provided despite choking on your food. **Three times**. You were positive the man had a behemoth library of horrible, horrible puns to entertain and disgust people. _What a talent_.

Jesse had offered to clean the dishes and store the food for you (again), which you contested, and you were exiled from the kitchen for the remainder of the night as you headed outside to the backyard garden, sitting on the bench that gave you the stress that lingered with you for the day.

Fiddling with your thumbs, you took deep, long breaths, stabilizing your mind and body before you were ready to tell Genji. It’s as if Genji could read minds, because the moment you were ready to talk, he was right there, sitting beside you on the bench, in the same position that you two were both in hours earlier in the day.

“Would you like me to ask you the same question again, ___?” Genji asked, his voice calmer, quieter than this morning.

You bowed your head. “Yes, please.”

Genji inhaled, exhaling seconds later, the air filtering through his faceplate.

“Why don’t you and Commander Reyes sleep in the same room, despite you two being married?”

A moment of silence washed over you two as you lifted your head to gaze into the cyborg ninja’s soft, ruby eyes.

“Gabriel and I haven’t slept in the same room since our son died two years ago in a very bad accident.” You began, your eyes cautiously observing Genji as he attentively listened to you speak. “Two years ago, a man clad in obnoxiously neon green kidnapped our son in the middle of the night. Gabriel and I pursued that bastard to the middle of the forest behind town.”

Genji suddenly lifted his hand and placed it on your face, the Japanese man wiping away the tears you didn’t notice begin tumbling down your face. You acknowledged his gesture with a curt nod before you once again took another deep breath.

“Gabriel ordered me to flank around to distract that piece of shit and find a way to take my son out of his grasp, but then-“

Your body quaked, arms instinctively clasping around your torso, protecting yourself. Genji reached out, holding you gently in his arms as you rested your weakening body against his metallic one. He patted your hair as you continued your story.

“He missed. Gabe missed, and he killed my son because he was too fucking angry at that fucker who decided it was a good idea to take my son in the middle of the night.”

Your hands tightened into fists, your nails drawing blood.

“Ever since that day, everything went to shit, and Gabe-“

“Ma’am!” Jesse called, “Commander!”

Jesse burst out the door, the wood clanging against the wall, his exclamation ringing out in the silence, your body flying out from Genji’s grasp. Rubbing your eyes, you glanced at Genji, an apologetic look reflecting off of the visible portions of his face as you backed away from him. He brought his arms back to his lap, his head lowering down onto the ground.

“That’s why…” you trailed off, body leading closer and closer to the panicked cowboy stationed at the backyard door.

“I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have said it!”

Genji stood up to stop you but you were already gone.

Running towards Jesse, you pushed the cowboy away, the memories of the tragedy that took your son’s life fading, replaced by the anxiety that began to inflate as you approached closer and closer to the man of your dreams and nightmares. Arriving at the living room, you rapidly froze, an uncomfortably chilling sensation ascending through your soles to the crown of your head. Miniscule, fear-induced steps echoed and rebounded between the horrifyingly hushed house as you painstakingly inched towards the couch. The holographic television was on, various images from channels fleeting by, the audio muted. Shadows crept up along the walls, transforming into hands, seemingly reaching out towards you. Each step you took rang inside your ears, until you stopped at the edge of the couch.

It was like time had stopped for you and the rest of the world, the video from the holo-tele being the only reminder that time is moving albeit it being a human construct. A frigid hand caressed yours, time moving ever so slowly as you faced to your left, shock surging your body.

**“Mi cariña, I’ve missed you.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies, it's quite short. Don't have a beta reader, or maybe I do, I don't remember, I haven't written in ages. Especially this.  
> Thanks for sticking around.  
> I thought, maybe I should finish this, no matter what happens or how long or how bad it gets. Just finish it.  
> Here's chapter four.  
> It's midnight and I have class tomorrow. I'll update the summary and notes tomorrow, when I'm less tired and awake.
> 
> If you follow me on Tumblr, I have made a new one specifically for my name change and for my writing ONLY. It is sun-flares. Feel free.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “The scars from mental cruelty can be as deep and long-lasting as wounds from punches or slaps, but they are often not as obvious.” **― Lundy Bancroft, Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men**
> 
> **Warnings: Smut, the consensual one**

Gabriel stood strong, sturdy as he washed his dishes after consuming some leftovers he obtained from the refrigerator. On the couch, eyes transfixed tiredly on the holo-tele, you sat, mouth slightly agape and body hesitant to move.

When Gabriel had called out to you, calling you “mi cariña,” a name you hadn’t been called by in what felt like years, you instantly froze over, even more so after the moment he touched you with his seemingly lifeless hand and the frigid atmosphere of the living room you walked yourself into. Your mind absolutely refused to believe Gabriel was being nice to you. You _knew_ that in due time, he’d snap once again, and you would be left at the mercy of his fists, his legs, or even his cock. You didn’t know what would happen to you the next time it would happen, _if_ it would happen, so all you could do was sit still and wait until the man you married would call for your presence. It was a vicious cycle of kindness and abuse, one you would never think of escaping, the sin of your son dying from your husband’s shotguns chaining you to the man and your home. You could never dare leave your son, let alone leave the house holding the once beautiful memories you and Gabriel had shared one last time as a loving, functional family. You felt like you were already eternally damned to hell.

The couch buckled beside you as Gabriel returned to you, his hand clasping around yours once again, his hands gentle, despite the calloused, rough skin. You were so fixated at the holo-tele in front of you that you failed to notice the large, chiseled man surrounding you with his arms, his face nuzzling the crown of your head, inhaling the fading smell of perfume. Your body tensed, fearing for the future physical contact, but you surprisingly relaxed as the man in question ran his hands up and down your back, breathing in your scent as he held you close to him.

“Mi hermosa, I’ve missed you so much…” Gabe whispered, planting a kiss onto your forehead, his fingers tenderly running themselves through your hair.

“It’s only been a few days, Gabe, how could you have missed me…?” You took a breath and mustered up as much courage as you could to lift your head and gaze into the chocolate eyes of your lover. Gabriel held a vastly different emotion on his face. Based on your previous experiences, you would think that he would be falsifying it in some way, but somehow, miraculously, the face Gabriel held on his face was true, legitimate. His eyes displayed a deep concern, and you were worried that it would be something of your doing.

“Is there…something wrong…?” You gasped out, the locked gaze you had with Gabe choking your airways, prohibiting you from breathing or speaking properly and coherently.

In a swift motion, Gabriel whisked you into his arms, carrying you out of the sofa. As you were carried away from the living room, you passed by Jesse, the cowboy tipping his hat at you, and lingering behind him was the solemn Japanese man, his apologetic gaze fleeting, Gabriel lifting you out at a rapid pace. Within the span of a few seconds, you were alone with Gabriel in the master bedroom.

* * *

Gabriel returned to the master bedroom a few minutes later, the man temporarily departing, the discussion you barely heard making you fear for your safety. It was faint, but you could hear it clearly. He wanted Genji and Jesse to vacate the house that night, giving them enough finances to find another place to live. Nothing more was said, and within the span of ten minutes, your “friends” were gone.

You were alone with Gabriel once again.

You sat up straight as Gabe entered the room, his fingers rubbing the temple of his head. You watched the man as he poured himself a glass of water from the water dispenser sitting atop of the bedside dresser, the man downing the contents of the glass immediately. Gabe flopped down on the bed, startling you, the man locking his arms around you to attempt to comfort you.

“I’m sorry, that just scared me…” You whispered, body tensing once again under the immovable rock that is Gabriel Reyes.

Gabe pulled you into lap, the Blackwatch commander sitting up against the headboard, your head tucked into the crook of his neck. His hands were once again running through your hair while he softly hummed a song that once gave you a sense of tranquility in the past, but more so terrified you now. That tune was the one absolute signal that something was going to go very very wrong within a few seconds, but Gabriel’s current body language was confusing you. There had to be something more to this, right?

“The last escort mission I went on was supposed to be very simple. **Very simple**. We were ambushed. One of the agents on this mission was a goddamn mole, and when I found that out, it was too late. Half of our agents were dead, and I wasted no time blasting that bitch with my guns. But my anger got the best of me, and I ended up following him into a trap. I didn’t listen to Genji or Jesse calling for me, and soon enough I was out like a light.”

Gabriel’s hold on you tightened slightly, causing you to flinch. “I’m the goddamn Blackwatch commander, and yet here I let my emotions get the best of me rather than my own intuition. That should _never_ be happening.”

The room fell into silence, your husband's hand continuing to run through your hair.

“Hermosa, I will not hurt you…” Gabriel began. “I thought I was going to lose you. I thought I was never going to see the love of my life anymore.”

Gabriel’s words caused you to look directly into his face, your mind shocked at his words. Did he really, truly mean what he said? Or was he just saying this to momentarily drop your guard? Either way, you weren’t initially believing what he was saying. Gabriel was smart; he knew that you were frightened, that you were in disbelief of his words. He sighed, observing and accepting your distrustful eyes.

“Do you not believe me, mi alma? I swear upon my soul that what I have said is true. I love you so much, ___, I don’t want to let you go.” Gabriel’s hand reached up to your face, tenderly cupping it into the palm of his hand. His thumb drew circles on your cheek, the man’s eyes pleading with you, the eyes that normally display rage and possession now softening into a longing, sorrowful gaze.

He said your name. He _never_ says your name unless he **absolutely** meant it.

What do you do? You were in a state of internal turmoil. You desperately wanted to believe in your husband, that he would change for the better and treat you in the way the he once treated you before. He once had never laid his hands on you without your word; he had never yelled at you for a simple mistake; he had never let you work until you couldn’t stand on your own two feet. The Gabriel in the past cared for you deeply, and you hoped that he’d return someday to you, return to be the loving husband he once was, and most importantly the loving father of the son that had passed years before.

“Do you promise, this time?” You asked, words careful, tone heedful of trespassing into dangerous territory. “Do you promise to never let your anger, your hatred of your targets at work consume you? Do you _promise_ to never hurt me again, to let me be the outlet where you release everything that went awry in your missions?”

You didn’t realize you were in tears now, the numerous times you endured the pain and suffering of the treacherous, deceitful man in front of you melting into this moment in time, the hope that one day he’d come back to you pushing its way past the suffering and coming together at this point.

Gabriel sighed deeply, his hands embracing your face, pulling you into a soft kiss, thumbs cautiously wiping away the stray tears descending on your cheeks.

"I promise, ___, I promise."

* * *

The Gabriel in front of you now was vastly different from the Gabriel that left before the mission that almost took his life; the man in question plastering soft, warm kisses down your torso as his hands wandered, gradually taking in and savoring every inch of you. You let out a soft gasp, grabbing a fistful of Gabriel's thick curls as he dove into your lower folds, the flat of his tongue exposing your small, sensitive nub. His beard tickled the inside of your thighs, causing you to weakly attempt and close them, but your husband was a brick wall, immovable.

Gabriel lightly nibbled on your inner thighs, muttering praises about your body and complimenting every roll and curve that made the goddess that you are. He continued to ravish your wet core, his tongue expertly flicking your bundle of nerves, eliciting an onslaught of moans, the volume increasing as Gabe's tongue dove into your warmth, his tongue twisting and exploring you. It had been many moons since you both indulged in such a slow paced, loving night in bed, and you were, for now, pleased that Gabriel responded positively to your plea. Maybe having a close encounter with death changes people, but then again, you wouldn't really know how that felt.

"So wet for me hermosa," Gabriel whispered, the man bringing his face up to yours to take your lips in his, "So ready…"

His voice was low, rough, and you shivered against his body, the larger man engulfing you into his arms, your arms latching around his neck as he hoisted you up, pinning you against the wall. Your body made a muted thud as you hit the wall, causing you laugh in the slightest bit. Gabriel smiled and continued to kiss you, his eager cock sliding in between your folds, your mewls silenced by the man's lips. You broke away from the intense lip lock, taking in a breath of fresh air as Gabriel lightly tugged on your hair, exposing your neck to his mouth, the commander attacking your most sensitive area.

"Please, Gabriel," you whined, legs pulling out of his grip and resting them on his shoulders, "I can't wait any longer-" Your hands glided from the nape of his neck to his hair, firmly locking them in place.

Gabriel pulled your hair, tilting your head to the side, and his tongue swept a trail from the crook of your neck to the base of your jaw, his speed being excruciatingly slow, teasing your impatience. Despite your complaints, Gabriel took his time, taunting you, his cock's bulbous tip prodding oh so faintly, opening your core in the slightest way. Every time he would do that, your legs would attempt to drive his body towards you, but as you knew, Gabriel was an immovable brick wall, and your attempts proved to be futile.

Gabriel laughed at you, brushing your hair away again with a hand, and he kissed you once again. He pulled away immediately after, not even letting you savor it, and in a sudden movement, Gabriel fully sheathed himself inside you, his hands gripping securely at the bend of your knees, pushing them towards you, driving your body further into the bedroom wall. Gabriel let out a low, guttural grunt as he found himself buried to the hilt. You cried out, feeling the man's thick cock comfortably encased inside you, and you tightened your grip on Gabe's hair, causing him to growl into your ear.

Gabriel pulled his hips back and wasted no time driving himself into you, driving deeper with every thrust as you wildly clung on to his body, Gabe's inhuman speed almost propelling your knees directly into your face.

"Fuck, Gabriel!"

You were fortunate that you were flexible enough to sustain your position for a long period of time, and you gritted your teeth as Gabe furiously pounded into you, the old house's walls creaking, threatening to collapse at the force in which he was ravishing you.

You released your left hand from Gabe's hair, driving it down his right arm, marking him as you helplessly cried yourself into a mumbling mess. Gabriel dipped his face to your neck, whispering sweet words and endearments, and a few thrusts later, he suddenly pulled out of you, lifting you into his arms.

"Gabe," you hissed, displeased at the abrupt break, "put it back in me, please!"

"Patience, mi alma, you will get what you want."

Gabriel laid back down on the mattress, back resting on the headboard, giving your house's retiring walls a rest, and he assisted you as you brought yourself back down on his cock, sighing in relief at the intimate contact. His hands placed themselves at your hips, feeling the gradual rhythm you were playing as you rode him. You took this time to play with your breasts, cupping them, massaging them. Your fingers pinched and pulled your nipples, moaning at the increase of pleasure surging through your body.

"Ah, what a beautiful sight I have in front of me," Gabriel sighed, playfully thrusting upwards, disrupting your momentary personal playtime. "Let me."

He slid his hands from your hips to your breasts as his mouth attacked your left breast, sucking and lightly nipping at your buds, and his hands firmly massaging your fluffy mounds. Your head lulled back, eyes closing; your hips rolling themselves forward, burying Gabriel's cock further inside your wetness. Gabe growled into your breasts, squeezing them together and immersing himself in them.

He indulged in your breasts for a few minutes, the man gently humming, and your hips were beginning to tire from the effort you were putting in. Gabriel noticed, and soon enough, he flipped you over, his body towering you.

"Together," he said, and you nodded.

Gabriel once again drove himself to the hilt, your hands fisting the bedsheets; you gasped and cried against Gabe's primal roars, the Blackwatch commander wasting no time in taking you rough and dominant, much like how his unit ran their ops. You could feel the heat in your abdomen building, the rising wave of pleasure drowning you, and you fastened your arms around Gabe's neck, sharply jerking him towards you, your right hand leading his face to the crook of your neck.

Gabriel's thrusts became more uneven, a sign he was near his peak, and in three crisp thrusts, he shot his seed inside you, coating your inner walls, causing you to clench tightly around him, milking him dry. Gabe nuzzled his face into your neck, breathing you in, and the two of you lay there tangled and together until you both had calmed down from your euphoric high.

* * *

You were not used to the kind Gabriel that emerged from slumber tonight. Gabriel had prepared you a bath, filling the tub with a bath bomb that you had always wanted to use but never had a chance to, and you were surprised at how sincere he was being. He had carried you from the bed you two once shared, and he carefully placed you in the tub, taking the time to help you wash your hair and your body, as well as comforting you with stories from his past missions and some of his family in Los Angeles.

For the first time in what felt like decades, Gabriel was back to the man he was when you first were together, and you hoped that he would maintain that sincerity with the promise he had made to you earlier that evening. He was also kind enough to dry your hair for you, despite you protesting that you still had enough energy to do it and that he didn't pound you enough for you to lose feeling in your arms. You were laying on the bed in a warm robe Gabriel had ready for you, and you were waiting for Gabriel to finish his shower so that he could join you.

The sound of running water slowed to a halt, and in a few minutes, Gabriel emerged from the shower in a pair of sweatpants, toweling his torso off. You spread your arms out to greet him, the commander coming to your side in an instant.

Gabriel embraced you that night, his head resting comfortably on top of yours, his hands combing through your hair and sliding up and down your back. Gabriel was humming the tune he would sing to your son every night before he would sleep, and you began to cry at the memories flooding you. Nevertheless, you began to fade, losing your consciousness to the comforts of sleep while in the arms of your husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is actually halfway done, ish. Thanks for sticking around.  
> If you're down to talk, feel free to message me on my Tumblr sun-flares  
> I'll be posting chapter updates there as well.  
> Thanks for sticking around!  
> On a side note, I haven't written smut in a while, so I apologize if it's sub par. I've just been busy. :'(  
> Please let me know if you see any spelling or grammatical mistakes, thanks!


	6. Chapter 6

“Good morning; ma’am, it’s nice to see you smilin’ on this fine mornin’.”

Jesse was standing at the front door holding a small box. He grinned at you before he tipped his hat at you, almost dropping the box in the process. You laughed heartily at the cowboy and let him inside your house, Jesse entering happily and placing the box on the living room table.

“You’re late.”

Gabriel emerged from the master bedroom freshly showered, your husband shirtless with a black long-sleeved shirt in his hand. He approached you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you into a kiss before he walked to the couch, situating himself in front of the box that Jesse brought. Jesse returned to the Swiss headquarters a week before to provide Blackwatch  mission reports to Ana and Jack, and he returned with this box in hand. You were unsure if Morrison or Amari knew of your relationship with Gabe, as well as where you lived, but you had a lingering feeling that they did know since they were **the** founding trio of Overwatch and Blackwatch.

“Genji was here an hour ago. I told you to meet here at 9 am, and you’re **three hours late**.”

You placed two glasses in front of Gabriel and Jesse, filling them up with some water and situating the pitcher of water before you went to the guest bedroom to call for Genji. Jesse just shrugged.

“Sorry jefe,” McCree said, rubbing the back of his neck, smiling sheepishly, “I drank a bit too much last night and slept through my alarm. Took some meds though, so hopefully everythin’s good.” Jesse took a large swig of water, emptying the glass, and the cowboy took his time filling himself another glass and drinking it. Genji entered the living room with you trailing behind.

“Ah, someone finally decided to come.” Genji laughed, sitting in between Gabe and Jesse on the couch.

“Shut your trap there,” Jesse retorted, scoffing, crossing his arms and scowling at the ninja. Despite Genji being a cyborg, he decided to wear a dark green t-shirt with some charcoal colored sweatpants over his mechanical parts. “Finally decided to put on clothes huh? Took you awhile to realize you’re naked all the time.”

“Being ‘naked’ gives me more freedom than being clothed. I didn’t want the people living here to be scared of me.”

“Clothed or not, they’re still scared of you.”

“Can you bastards just shut up?”

It had been three months since Gabriel had woke up from the mission that almost took his life, and during those three months Gabriel had kept his promise to you. He would lock the basement room that you lived in while you resumed your place sleeping in the master bedroom, and he had replaced the tattered wallpaper of the house, turning the walls from drab and desolate graying and fading stripes into a brighter, yellow. When Genji had told you that Gabe transformed the house into a yellow box, you were a bit worried, since you knew Gabriel was absolutely awful at choosing what colors go best with other colors, but when you returned home from a spontaneous day trip when he replaced the wallpaper, you were surprised to see that the yellow Gabe chose was just the right brightness, as well as having a large outline of a marigold painted in the middle of the wall beside the holo-tele. Gabriel had told you that day that he wanted the marigold in there to honor both you and his son, whose favorite color marigold was the yellow one, and lo and behold, you were crying again, this time not in fear of your safety but for your son.

Despite your marriage with Gabriel being a secret one, another Blackwatch agent had stumbled upon your house late one night, this time not because of the mission gone awry, and you were intrigued at how this new face composed herself. She introduced herself as Blackwatch geneticist Moira O’Deorain, and her heterochromatic eyes held many secrets and mysteries. Moira visited you and Gabriel every two days since her arrival, the Irish geneticist checking on Gabriel’s conditions. You were unaware of any health condition Gabriel had other than his experiences in the American SEP; you knew he was generally healthy, and if he was sick, he would be fine within a day’s rest. Nevertheless, Moira continued to visit, and she and Gabriel would always head down into the basement to do his checkups. You had some suspicions on what those check ups were, but you shrugged it off for now.

The contents of the box Jesse had brought with him were finally brought to light, and they were gifts from Ana and Jack back at the Switzerland headquarters. Ana had given Gabriel a new tea set, and Jack had gifted him a new pair of black sweats and a matching hoodie with the word “edge” emblazoned on the right sleeve and right pant. Genji and Jesse burst out in laughter when they had spied the present Jack had for Gabriel, with Jesse taunting and poking fun at Gabriel before he threatened to burn Jesse’s beloved cowboy hat.

Gabriel excused himself from the living room and headed towards you in the kitchen, where you were preparing a light snack for yourself. You were waiting patiently at the dining room table for the toaster oven to bake the potato wedges to your desired crispness, the oven making a small ding a few seconds later. Gabriel removed the wedges from the metal oven rack, placing them on a plate with a paper towel on top before handing you the plate and opening the refrigerator to pull out your favorite condiment. He sat down with you at the table, watching you as you had your snack.

“You may be wondering why Moira is here visiting.” Gabriel began, causing you to momentarily cease eating.

“I am wondering why she is here. She’s very intriguing.” You took another bite of a wedge.

“I never told you this but,” Gabe took a breath, “I’ve grown up with genetic problems. Thankfully the SEP didn’t fuck my genes up even more, but when Blackwatch recruited Moira, and I found out that genetics was her specialty, I had to request medical assistance.”

“I see.” Another munch. “What treatments has she been administering to you, and why in our basement? It raises suspicion, especially for me, your wife.”

Gabriel reached out and held your free hand, massaging the back of it tenderly. “I do not know the specifics of the treatments that she administers to me, but I am aware that her injected treatments are extremely light-sensitive, volatile when in contact with bright sunlight. The basement has just the perfect threshold of light where her treatments do not negatively affect me as well as aiding her ability to effectively give them to me. Trust me, hermosa, we are doing nothing of what you are suspicious of.”

You trusted Gabriel’s word, especially more so now that he’s been clean to you for three months.

“Cariña, I also have a present for you.”

You raised an eyebrow. A present? Gabriel rarely gives presents.

“I’m sending you on a two day trip to Paris. Blackwatch is about to undergo another operation, with the approximate length of the op being around two days.”

You dropped your wedge back onto the plate. “Are...are you serious…?! You’re sending me on a vacation?!” You began to squeal, causing Genji and Jesse to briefly stare at you and each other before musing over what to watch on the holo-tele.

Gabriel smiled at you, kissing the back of your hand. “Yes; however, for your protection, Moira will be staying with you while us boys handle the chaos.”

With impeccable timing, doorbell rang, the elegant, yet chilling, voice of the Irish woman phasing through the door.

You could hear the low mutter from Jesse, expressing his slight distaste of the Irish geneticist, and with a push and shove, Genji departed his seat.

“Commander,” Moira’s voice echoed, “have you acquainted your wife with the current situation of the team, as well as notified her of your plan?” She was poised in an elegant, dramatic fashion, the woman lifting her pale hands into the light from the open window, observing the nooks and crannies of her fingers. Her eyes swiftly glanced at you, face slightly grimacing. Moira had a suitcase beside her, a heavily secured black leather suitcase. You were certain that suitcase held some items of upmost importance.

Gabe nodded, turning his body to face Moira. “I have.” You spied Gabriel’s eyes squinting slightly, his expression glaring at the geneticist.

“I am trusting you with my wife, Moira. She better come out of Paris **unscathed**.”

Moira grinned that sneaky grin of hers, the woman’s unsettling composure causing your skin to crawl.

"Good."

Moira's body shifted until she was standing perfectly in front of you. “As you wish, Commander.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have an update! Currently busy with midterms, so the amount of time I've been able to spend typing out chapters has been pretty low. Don't worry, I'll still finish this story! It will take a while though.
> 
> Thank you all for reading and sticking around! I hope the story is going okay, and the writing quality hasn't decreased _too much_.


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